New inspectors and investigators for frontline

Twenty five new WorkSafe inspectors and investigators graduated yesterday from an intensive occupational health and safety (OHS) induction training program and will start work to help Victorians continue to return home safe every day.

The addition of the new personnel to the frontline will increase WorkSafe’s ability to work with Victorian employers and workers to improve safety in workplaces across the state, as well as enforce compliance with OHS legislation.

The new inspectors have backgrounds in a wide range of industries including health services, construction, electrical, oil and gas and manufacturing. The new inspectors and investigators are the latest recruits to join WorkSafe, following a further 20 recruits that graduated earlier in the year.

WorkSafe inspectors conducted around 40,000 workplace visits in 2014–15 and issued more than 16,000 notices for breaches in relation to OHS.

The comprehensive work by investigators into serious incidents and alleged breaches in relation to OHS contributed to WorkSafe’s commencement of 114 prosecutions in 2014–15.

WorkSafe Chief Executive, Clare Amies, presented a certificate of appointment and badge to the graduates in front of colleagues, family and friends.

“The work that our inspectors and investigators undertake is absolutely pivotal in ensuring Victorian employers are providing safe workplaces so that each of their workers can return home safe at the end of the day,” she said.

Ms Amies said WorkSafe was committed to ensuring a strong and well-resourced health and safety inspectorate was in place to provide Victorian workers and employers with the support they needed to further deliver better safety outcomes.

“We are the safest state in Australia in which to work, with claims per million hours worked at a record low. It is the diligent work of our inspectors and investigators and their interactions with Victorian employers and workers that continues to drive this result,” Ms Amies said.

“Importantly, all of our inspectors and investigators are passionate about improving health and safety in Victorian workplaces and I welcome our new graduates to WorkSafe on what we know is an important and meaningful path.”